Italian Gilberto Simoni will continue to race in the Giro despite testing positive for cocaine, announced the UCI. The test was taken out of competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on April 24 before the start of the Giro del Trentino and Simoni blamed the presence of cocaine on a local anaesthetic he was given on a trip to the dentist. The UCI said that because the test was not administered during the Giro and that Simoni could continue whatever the result of the test on his B sample. Simoni's Saeco team said they were notified of the positive test result in a letter from the UCI on Tuesday evening and said they were convinced of his innocence.

After the stage, the Saeco team distributed photocopies of a signed note from dentist Dr Bruno Grosselli, a dental specialist from the town of Torbole sul Garda. The note, dated April 24, read: "The patient Gilberto Simoni today underwent urgent orthodontic treatment with the local anaesthetic containing Carbocaine two percent with adrenaline. "Having this document we can see that things are clear. I'm more optimistic. This could be demonstration that it's an accident," said Corti. Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc said on Wednesday that Saeco may be banned from the Tour if Simoni is suspended for doping by the UCI as they had only been admitted to allow the Italian to take part.

But Simoni still hopes to avoid a ban. "I hope people believe I was in good faith. You can't use it to go well on a bike," he said. "There's no reason why not to carry on. I haven't done anything wrong. "I want to win the Giro. It can all be explained. I don't take drugs".